Students take reins to get back on course

Teens at Allentown high schools get chance to erase failing grades in math, English.

March 12, 2007|By Melanie A. Hughes Of The Morning Call

Hearing Melissa Muthoni, it's hard to imagine that the 15-year-old has trouble in English class. The Allen High School student from Kenya speaks perfect English, enunciating each word in an eloquent accent.

But to her dismay, Melissa has struggled with reading since moving from Eastern Africa to Allentown one year ago.

It's why she signed up for the Allentown School District's grade recovery program, which gives students from Allen and Dieruff high schools who fail math or English another chance to succeed.

"I want to be here to improve my English," Melissa said as she sat in an after-school tutoring session last Monday. "I know I can do better."

Now in its second year, the district's grade recovery program allows all Allen students and ninth-grade students from Dieruff who failed math or English during the previous marking period to repeat the material after school.

For 90 minutes, two days a week, students in the program meet in small groups with teachers who have signed on to work overtime.

Students get the chance to completely erase their failing grade, as if it never happened, if they complete six weeks of tutoring and are able to pass the final exam, said Michele Kloiber, academic assistant principal at Allen who runs the program.

Melissa is one of about 400 students who failed English or mathematics at Allen on their last report card. About 80 of them opted for grade recovery.

Dieruff has 25 ninth-grade students out of 90 with failing grades in math or English in grade recovery classes.

"I wish more kids would come," Kloiber said. "Last year, 50 or 60 completed it and were able to change their grades. We didn't see as many of the F's."

Paid for through Project 720 grants, Gov. Ed Rendell's statewide high school reform initiative aimed at reducing high school dropout rates, grade recovery is another approach to finding new teaching methods for students who need a little extra push, said David Wildonger, administrator on special assignment with the Allentown School District.

"This keeps the student on grade level," Wildonger said. "Students can't follow along if they're behind. This way, they can make up the work in the same [school year]."

The district's Project 720 funding is only $141,000 each year for the three-year grant. It pays for various high school initiatives in the district, including dual enrollment, curriculum review, literacy coaches and Academic Academy.

Another Project 720 initiative is credit recovery, a makeup course for students who failed Algebra I or II.

To avoid summer school and stay on grade level, students can take a designated double period of math, available for the first time this year.

While grade and credit recovery programs are difficult to coordinate, the district is seeing results and is considering expanding it to include other courses, Wildonger said.

Grade recovery classes are voluntary, and in most cases, the students made the decision on their own to try again during the school year rather than attend summer school, or get so far behind that they drop out.

"My parents asked if I wanted to come," said 15-year-old Jessica Kline, an Allen High student who said she failed English because "I didn't do the work."

"[My parents] asked if I was sure, and I said yes. I don't want to fail. I want to pass ninth grade."

"I would be here even if my mom didn't make me," said 14-year-old Hector Correa, confident of his chances of getting a passing grade in English at Allen this time around.

Teacher Melissa Roehrich said she likes working with students in the grade recovery program because they are self-motivated. She described Melissa, the girl from Kenya, as being "very diligent in her efforts," making staying late worthwhile.

"That's why I'm excited to be here," Roehrich said. "These students are here by choice. They are taking the initiative to do well."